Argentina Stages Historic World Cup Comeback Against Egypt, Advances to Quarterfinals

Argentina secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 on July 7, coming back from a two-goal deficit. Trailing 2-0 with less than 15 minutes remaining, Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernández scored three late goals to complete the historic turnaround.

This comeback marked the first time in World Cup history a team won in regulation after being down 0-2 as late as the 78th minute. Enzo Fernández's winning goal was also the 3,000th goal in tournament history. Lionel Messi, despite missing an earlier penalty, scored the equalizer and was visibly emotional after the win. Argentina will now face Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Saturday, July 11, in Kansas City.

Manager Lionel Scaloni made tactical changes for the Egypt match, including the return of Leandro Paredes to midfield, stating, "Leandro is 100% ready and will play tomorrow." After the match, Messi expressed relief, saying, "We suffered a lot again, but this is the World Cup. All the matches are turning out like this. It was a relief for everyone, given how the match played out. But this group never gives up and fights until the end."

Social media users on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) were buzzing about the "crazy" nature of the comeback, with many praising Argentina's resilience and Messi's emotional reaction. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that Egyptian fans were "furious" over controversial refereeing decisions, including a disallowed goal and multiple yellow cards. The Egyptian Football Association has lodged an official complaint with FIFA regarding the refereeing.